# How long do cigars stay in your system?



## ryan35um

I'm having a life insurance policy put in place for work and my insurance agent asked me if I smoke. I said only cigars. She said they count that and that it takes around 3 weeks to get that fully out of your system. The rate is significantly different for non-smokers (several hundred dollars per year). For that amount of money I suppose I can wait that long (that pains me to say), but is that really accurate? I think the tests are blood tests.


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## St. Lou Stu

ryan35um said:


> I'm having a life insurance policy put in place for work and my insurance agent asked me if I smoke. I said only cigars. She said they count that and that it takes around 3 weeks to get that fully out of your system. The rate is significantly different for non-smokers (several hundred dollars per year). For that amount of money I suppose I can wait that long (that pains me to say), but is that really accurate? I think the tests are blood tests.


Whaaaaaaa? Tobacco Test?
I think yer screwed if you told the agent anyway.
She works for 'The Man', you ain't gonna get a fair shake even if the whiz quiz comes back clean.
:bn


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## cbsmokin

You forgot to say how often you smoke. I know "someone" who had a blood test for the exact same reason 10 days after smoking a stogie and the test was negative. This same "someone" at the time was only smoking about one a week.


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## yourchoice

I've heard two weeks, but go with three to be on the safe side. It will be worth it in the long run.

I have neither any medical training, nor an insurance background. This is based solely off a fellow BOTL's experience. He was told by his insurance agent 2 weeks, and as far as I know, everything was a-okay (BTW, he smoked an average of two a day +/-).

Hope that helps.


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## ryan35um

St. Lou Stu said:


> Whaaaaaaa? Tobacco Test?
> I think yer screwed if you told the agent anyway.
> She works for 'The Man', you ain't gonna get a fair shake even if the whiz quiz comes back clean.
> :bn


My insurance agent was helping me try to avoid having to pay the extra. She watches out for us luckily.


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## ryan35um

cbsmokin said:


> You forgot to say how often you smoke. I know "someone" who had a blood test for the exact same reason 10 days after smoking a stogie and the test was negative. This same "someone" at the time was only smoking about one a week.


I smoke a cigar once a week usually.


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## mustang1

I had to get a life insurance policy for my job aswell. I just told the guy I didn't smoke or use any tobacco products and that was the end of it. I don't think they test for it in blood samples,God knows I had enough of them, nothing ever came up. My GF told her agent that she recently quit when she was getting her policy, they swabbed her mouth for traces of nicotine. My guess is you should've kept mum about the cigar smoking. 

I'd lay off of them for a couple weeks to be safe. Good Luck. :tu


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## ljh824

If you don't inhale, shouldn't the time be significantly less than a cigarette smoker that does inhale?


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## St. Lou Stu

ljh824 said:


> If you don't inhale, shouldn't the time be significantly less than a cigarette smoker that does inhale?


That's what Clinton thought.


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## ryan35um

mustang1 said:


> I had to get a life insurance policy for my job aswell. I just told the guy I didn't smoke or use any tobacco products and that was the end of it. I don't think they test for it in blood samples,God knows I had enough of them, nothing ever came up. My GF told her agent that she recently quit when she was getting her policy, they swabbed her mouth for traces of nicotine. My guess is you should've kept mum about the cigar smoking.
> 
> I'd lay off of them for a couple weeks to be safe. Good Luck. :tu


The blood tests happen anyways for what i'm doing. My insurance agent told me the stuff about smoking as a precaution and said if you do that it will be important to wait 3 weeks so the tests come back clean.


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## BigFrankMD

That sounds like something German like circa 1940.

I would told that chick bout my other cigar in my pants.


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## Texan in Mexico

Thats a great idea - then you would have been swiftly sued and shown the door, it is never a good idea to offend the person who is about to put an annual cost for something you will be paying out of pocket - but hey thats just me.

Maybe I'm tired of the flu and took that too literally?

Haha


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## rumballs

I think I heard the average time through the digestive system is anywhere between 24 and 72 hours.
The real question is, why are you eating cigars?


:r


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## joshtpa

I work in the insurance biz, and I can tell you that the urine test you submit for a life insurance application/policy does indeed check for tobacco. The rates will normally triple or so based on age for a smoker. If you drink lots of water and eat nothing with salt over the next few days, it should leave your system. Most will only stay for about 7 days. You can buy sample tests at CVS or online for about $15 that will check it for you.


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## SDmate

This may help
http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21668&highlight=life+insurance


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## ryan35um

joshtpa said:


> I work in the insurance biz, and I can tell you that the urine test you submit for a life insurance application/policy does indeed check for tobacco. The rates will normally triple or so based on age for a smoker. If you drink lots of water and eat nothing with salt over the next few days, it should leave your system. Most will only stay for about 7 days. You can buy sample tests at CVS or online for about $15 that will check it for you.


Good input, thanks!


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## ryan35um

SDmate said:


> This may help
> http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21668&highlight=life+insurance


I think I might go through withdrawl like this guy did in his post. I'm going to be counting down the days until I can crack the humidor back open and smoke a stogie at home.


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## sean373

i actually got a new life insurance policy about a week before i started getting intersted in cigars, and when i said no to tabaccy i was givin an oral swab to test for it.


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## chip

Just something to ponder over.....

While you may save quite a few bucks by "passing" the no smoking quiz, what happens if your family ever needs to cash this policy in?
Does the presence of nicotine, and probable proof of smoking void the policy?


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## mosesbotbol

chip said:


> Just something to ponder over.....
> 
> While you may save quite a few bucks by "passing" the no smoking quiz, what happens if your family ever needs to cash this policy in?
> Does the presence of nicotine, and probable proof of smoking void the policy?


How could it? You did not smoke at the time they asked you? I could be wrong though...

One thing also to remember. My neighbors are in the medical business

*Never tell your doctor that you smoke- cigarettes, cigars, mary jane, whatever... Insurance companies can go back to your medical records and then you are screwed...*


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## joshtpa

mmblz said:


> I think I heard the average time through the digestive system is anywhere between 24 and 72 hours.
> The real question is, why are you eating cigars?
> 
> :r





chip said:


> Just something to ponder over.....
> 
> While you may save quite a few bucks by "passing" the no smoking quiz, what happens if your family ever needs to cash this policy in?
> Does the presence of nicotine, and probable proof of smoking void the policy?


You can start smoking after the policy is in place with no problems whatsoever. This is a non-issue.


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## Mark THS

chip said:


> Just something to ponder over.....
> 
> While you may save quite a few bucks by "passing" the no smoking quiz, what happens if your family ever needs to cash this policy in?
> Does the presence of nicotine, and probable proof of smoking void the policy?


What a guy, always looking out for me! :r


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## joshtpa

One thing I will add, I have never seen a policy that becomes voided if you start smoking. I have never even heard of such a thing.


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## coffeemonkey

I stopped smoking 10 days before a blood test I had for life insurance and I came out clean. A friend of mine in the medical field thought it would only take a few days, but I waited 10 to be sure. Worked for me.


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## K Baz

If you were to die and you were found to be a smoker at time of application, although you passed the tests and said you were a nonsmoker, some companies may lower your death benefit by the "back premium" they should have collected on the policy. i.e. the difference between what they collected vs. what they should have charged you as a smoker.

:2


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## joshtpa

K Baz said:


> If you were to die and you were found to be a smoker at time of application, although you passed the tests and said you were a nonsmoker, some companies may lower your death benefit by the "back premium" they should have collected on the policy. i.e. the difference between what they collected vs. what they should have charged you as a smoker.
> 
> :2


That is not a true statement. It is not possible for them to determine if you were "a smoker" at the time of application other than the blood and/or urine tests. I would like to know where that info came from?


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## Texan in Mexico

Of course a true BOTL would say forever


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## ChokeOnSmoke

I think it's ridiculous that smoking cigars is considered "smoking". Two completely different things in my mind.


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## K Baz

joshtpa said:


> That is not a true statement. It is not possible for them to determine if you were "a smoker" at the time of application other than the blood and/or urine tests. I would like to know where that info came from?


As mentioned in a previous post if you have told your doctors it may be in your medical records which the life insurance comapny may request if you die. Plus it could be in possibily 10 other places that could be disclosed when your benificary is making a claim. Your benificary if they did not know you did not tell the insurance company might even disclose it.

So if they find out they have the "...option for the insurance company is to pay a death claim equal to the amount of life insurance you would have purchased with your money at a smoker's rate." Or other such option they excercise. The reason they have these options published is they happen - from http://www.insure.com/articles/lifeinsurance/smoking.html

Plus there is the "...contestability period (generally, the first two years that the policy is in force) during which the company has the right to cancel the contract based on any false statements you made on your application - www.insurance.com/FAQs/lifeFAQDetail.aspx/index/17

Not saying it happens everytime not saying it will happen 1 in the next 10 times but it can happen and once one knows the possibilities and possible outcomes they can make an informed decision.

Also some companies have rates for cigar smokers and cigarette smokers.


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## Darrell

BigFrankMD said:


> I would told that chick bout my other cigar in my pants.


She is only interested in stogies bigger than a Short Story. :r:r:r


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## BradB41

ryan35um said:


> I smoke a cigar once a week usually.


I was in the same boat as you. I was smkoing about one a week when I decided to buy a little more coverage. I laid off for 3-4 weeks prior to the test or so and was fine...I got the non-tobacco user rate.


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## ryan35um

BradB41 said:


> I was in the same boat as you. I was smkoing about one a week when I decided to buy a little more coverage. I laid off for 3-4 weeks prior to the test or so and was fine...I got the non-tobacco user rate.


I had guests over last night and broke down and had a cigar, so i'll be testing the 2 week threshold it looks like I'll keep you posted on the results.


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## BradB41

Good luck! I'm going to bet by looking at your avatar that you had a fight party last night.


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## Mark THS

BradB41 said:


> Good luck! I'm going to bet by looking at your avatar that you had a fight party last night.


:tu


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## Mark THS

Ryan lit up just before Silva/Liddell.

I was too nervous and excited for the fight to smoke.


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## BradB41

Mark THS said:


> Ryan lit up just before Silva/Liddell.
> 
> I was too nervous and excited for the fight to smoke.


\

I hear you. I wouldn't have slept if I had combined nicotine with the adrenaline rush I had.


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## ca21455

This article is a little more technical:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=742181

The best answer is that nicotine has about a 20 hour half life in your body. This means in 20 hours 1/2 of the nicotine intake will be gone. This will be differ depending on age, size, sex, metabolism, etc.

How many half lives required is also going to depend on how much you have in your system and the detection capability of the test.

Most articles state it takes about 72 hours. Technically you would have to wait 10 half lives or about 9 days to be sure. Of course there is no guarantee considering the variables involved. If you are a light smoker and are not chowing down on full strength stogies, a week should work fine.

The way I understand it is worst that could happen if you make a claim is the insurance company could charge you for the difference in rate for the life of the policy and take it out of the payment for your medical bills. This is unlikely since it is costly to prove and not worth the effort by the company.

Good luck on your test!


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## ryan35um

I wasn't planning on lighting up last night, but one of the guys that came over for the fight had never had a cigar before and said he wanted to try out my cigar room and have one. I felt it was my duty to give in and show him the ropes.


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## jonny0783

I did the same thing with my life insurance through North Western and the agent made the exam a month after my last Cigar and I was fine and I used to smoke 4 a week so you should be fine if you wait a month.

Jon:ss


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## ryan35um

The test results are in... I passed! I was a non-smoker a total of 16 days before the tests (they did both blood and urine tests). Needless to say i've smoked more than a few cigars since :cb


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## Poriggity

When I was asked that question for my life insurance policy, I told them I smoked about once a week, cigars only. The lady made note of it, then specifically told me that she could still get me the non smokers policy price, as long as my blood and urine showed clean of nicotine. I quit for about 3 weeks, and about a week after the test, I was paying the non smokers rate, and was truthful about everything.
Scott


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## Puffin Fresh

Poriggity said:


> When I was asked that question for my life insurance policy, I told them I smoked about once a week, cigars only. The lady made note of it, then specifically told me that she could still get me the non smokers policy price, as long as my blood and urine showed clean of nicotine. I quit for about 3 weeks, and about a week after the test, I was paying the non smokers rate, and was truthful about everything.
> Scott


Which insurance company was this?


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## dwhitacre

Thanks for reviving this thread. I am going to have to start giving 'em up this week so I can do the test in February.

Last time I did the test, a few years ago, they did a mouth swab. Anyone experience that one?


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## hdroadking-cl

i have taken tests two different times. and have been a DAILY cigar smoker for 25 years. i don't inhale. the first test i waited two weeks and was negative. the second test was sprung a little sooner on me and i had only three days. i abstained for those three days and drank plenty of water and tested negative!


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## Poriggity

Sauer Grapes said:


> Which insurance company was this?


The first time it was hartford life insurance, and we now have west coast life insurance. The only reason we changed was because wifey wanted me to get more insurance after I got my motorcycle license, so we went from 500k to 750k for LESS money per month with west coast life.
Scott


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## yamaha6000

Don't nutrionists say it takes about a day to pass food through your system? Im gonna guess a cigar would plug you up and would call for the need of laxatives. :ss


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## gcman68

I was told two weeks would be enough. I just was tested for my policy and told the truth about cigar use but did take some time off before the test. Regardless, for my purposes saving some money wasn't worth lying and opening up myself to insurance fraud despite the fact that my odds of getting hit by lightning are better than getting caught.


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